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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · degree · roll · stem · board · capital · trunk · hide

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. board — a committee
  3. stem — to come from
  4. degree — temperature
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — money
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. roll — a list
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. capital — a city
  18. degree — an amount
  19. roll — a cake
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com